MOM2
(Read it as Em —O—Em 2)

 

How many of you here would like to watch the same movie again?
Almost everyone. But today I am going to take you through the second version of my MOM by incorporating all the feedback that I have received.

What is MOM in my last speech.

(Audience responded with Mother, Moments of the meeting, and someone recollected my last project’s title Moments of Magic)Thanks for remembering. MOM – stands for moments of magic.

MAGIC to me is something that starts very small but grows and transforms into big; enormous; huge over the course of time. Investment is one such. What would be the best investment according to you ? (Audience would immediately pick on Money Investment)

Well, There is one another vital investment
It’s investing in children, investing in young minds.
As educated people we are committed to instill good values, infuse good thoughts in them. But How do we do that?

Yes,it holds the same thumb rule as investment
The more the quality time you spend with your kids , the better they evolve
And the earlier you start the super they develop

But again How do we do this ?
If you just right away walk  into the house and call them,
“hey, Paaapu come here. Let’s have some time” Will they come? Not at all.

Two decades ago, when I was little, I used to pay attention to the intensity of my parent’s voice. Whenever they sound soft or mild “bhavana”, I continue to be on my cloud nine and ignore.
After a few seconds of waiting, they call me bhavanaaa. This time it is lot more perceptible, but I used to say, waittese(kiddish way to say pls wait)

By then their patience snapped and now the intensity  is like “BHHAAAAAVAAAAANAAAAAAAAAA” WHat aRE You DoiNg !

This time I wrapped up my activity and get to them.
My parents wanted me to get  rid of this habit and respond immediately
They wanted me to be well inside the line of obedience

My DAD being a Cinephile; loves to express things in a dramatic way.
He told in old voice to me “Bhavanaaa , When I was a kid like you;  if I hear my dad calling me out – I just leave everything whatever I have in my hand – Just run and rush  – Salute and Say  -Yesssss Dad!.

This is how we wish you behave and if you do that 24 times in a row, you will be rewarded”This aroused my curiosity and I started responding to them. When I heard them calling me,
I didn’t leave the things as such, but  started throwing things into the air with a jerk; run and rush , report  —  YESSS DAD.

Imagine the clutter I create by throwing things into the air.
My dad, not aware of the cluster , was overjoyed by my performance;  rewarded me one 100 rupees 🙂 That’s when my journey as a treasurer started.    Poor treasurer , by then, I believed, saving this 100 rupees inside the purse is worth multiplying(Lol)

But don’t panic, I’m not the same treasurer as then. I have all my skills honed over the last few years to function as an effective treasurer. No worries on that context.

Coming back to that one 100 rupees. I purchased a book, wrote my name and date and shelved it.
Thats all . No more memories about it.

Getting back to the clutter that I create every day. Dad is not aware but Mom ?
She never keeps her eye off her ball(me).
She signals me an alarm, she puts me an alert, she gives me a blow and then I go and clear the clutter. Slowly this became a monotonous routine. I wait for her to give the blow and then I clear the clutter

This continued for many days and I was just fulfilling the responsibility. Nothing added clarity to my thoughts.
Then one day something dawned upon me.
This is  my room,  my books, my shelf. Why should I wait for her to yell ?
Let me take responsibility. Let me do things on my own,

This attitude of taking responsibility sparked creativity.
I started looking out for ways to organise, categorise and label things so that I can access easily.
This made me to act with full of vim and vigour(phrase of the day)

Life started unfolding and this paved way for multitude of reflections.
Reflections like  – What are these books about? Did I ever read this 😉
All these questions opened a door to Redefiining

Thats when I identified the books and the gifts I received so far.
To my surprise, many were on the same subject line and by the same Author – Dale Carniege

Whats so special about Dale Carniege? (Audience responds)
You are right – His books are about “Public Speaking”

Gradually  I understood where my heart really lies.
I ventured into toast masters and my journey started

Now Just reflect.
Taking responsibility on my own and cleaning my shelf has opened my eyes towards honing my skills and identify my happiness. Nothing was clear when I was just fulfilling my obligations. I was able to figure out me when I took responsibility on my own

Yes my dear Toast masters  – Don’t go by doing things as your MOM/ DAD/ HUSBAND/WIFE /BOSS has mandated.
Take your own responsibility
Reflect
Invent your own path
Revamp & Redefine yourself — You can see the Moments of Magic getting casted

Thank you

MOM
(Read it as Em – O – Em)

`

Ladies and gentlemen, today I’m going to talk about the topic MOM.

What comes up to your mind?

Mom – she is an embodiment of true love and eternal care. She has so many desirable and admirable qualities. In spite of so much of positive attributes, the dynamics between each and every individual and their mom has a little amount of disagreements, a little amount of conflict. Yes ??? do you agree with me?

I’m here today to share one such friction between me and my MOM.

It was during my school days. By then, I had a strong fear of insects, particularly lizards.

Yes, that strange creature that sticks onto the wall.

One day, I was all set to wash my hair.

And as soon as I started, I spotted that one horrible lizard.

It was disgusting! Ugly! and it came running towards me(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!).

I picked up more speed(maaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!) and jumped out of the room and was crying out for aMMA ammA AmMaaa

My mom came running to hit . Hit not the lizard but me !!!

As soon as she stepped in and understood the reason for my howl,

she turned back to me and yelled.
“Heyyyyy Babana, why are you shouting for such tiny little lizard?????”

Get back and wash off your hair soon

I was not ready because the lizard was still there and how can I get in??

But she pushed me in. There was no way out. No way to escape.

I went in and then do you know what? What did I do?

I was washing my hair with my eyes wide open. Yes, all the hair wash products that was about to wash my hair went into my eyes. Eyes were burning and irritating.

But the irritation was far more bearable and tolerable compared to that horr(rrr)ible making an inch movement.

Yes! that’s how it went on. Then, I started complaining about my mom to my granny.

My granny, always loaded with lot of stories. She started telling me one story.

It is about her MOM, my great granny. the story goes like this in her own words —“That day,
We were six children in the house and my MOM was the sole breadwinner. She gives us delicious food only once in a week; so we wait all through the week for that one day – sunday evening. One sunday evening alike other days the dishes were ready. It was laid down in the dining room. Its strong aroma filling up the room and no one could stop ourselves.

We started enjoying the food. Our mom was also nearby eating her food.

In some time my mom just got up she sat down ; she did some sort of cleaning and she was doing some stuff. None of us bothered to look at her because it was only once in a week we get good delicious food and then she was the last to come to her plate. She also finished off the dinner and it went off well.

The next day there was a strange person in our house , with a strange music instrument – no one loves to touch. He came with a box, a round box – meant to hold snakes.

Only by then we got to know the reality from our MOM that there was a snake in our dining room yesterday evening. Yes it has peeped out its head it (sssh) peeped out its head (ssh ssh ssh).

And my mom was not ready to disturb our happiness, was not ready to disturb the ambience because it happened only once in a week. Neither she retreated nor she screamed. She responded very well by flipping a bucket on top of it and placed a heavy object so that it cannot move and break in.

My granny concluded the story with a moral – “Moms know when to act and when to ignore”

This story left a lasting impression on me.

I started looking out for ways to get rid of my fear of insects.

Again, the solution to this was not straightforward. It was not like a Google solution or ChatGBT helping you with answers. It was again through one of the chit-chat conversations.

There was a man, I was talking with him in relation and he was boasting like anything. I’ve seen this, I have so many insects, blah, blah, blah. Even anyone who listens to him for a minute will start thinking, he boasts as if he has stayed calm in front of the wild and ferocious lion.

But he had stayed calm in front of the butterflies, in front of the lizards, in front of the rats.

This thought, those words got repeated inside my head again and again.

Yes, I thought these are tiny little creatures. They are not going to harm us. Then I understood it’s not the insects that are horrible and awful. It’s that my fear that was horrible and awful. And then I said to myself that hereafter when I stumble upon any insects, I’m going to stand firmly.

I’m not going to shout.

I’m not going to create any chaos.

I’m going to stand firmly and continue my work.

If at all I want, I can make mild gestures to move them out of my way.

To my surprise, all my thoughts have started to manifest well.

Yes! I got rid of the fear. And now after getting into the motherhood, when my kid cries out for any help on spotting any insect, I act very courageously. My kid thinks, “oh, my mom is capable of doing all sort of bravo” . And this thought really gives me an immense pleasure.

I know how shivering I had been and how I have turned up .

Havent I heard these stores, I would have not got rid of my fears.

These are the MOM – Moments Of Magic.

These happen just like a magic. These doesn’t happen like a predefined meetings. These happen when you have a fun or some quality time with your family.

Yes!. Any problems, be it recurring or complex, gets resolved soon when you spend time with your family. Have some fun with people around you – You get to know some inputs or some ideas park on it and definitely your mind come up with some solutions.

Yess it’s not that chatgbt or google or any kind of technology that’s going to help you out there it’s only the quality time you spend gives you the boost. These are the moments of magic.

Embrace these Moments.

Keep your stresses away,

keep your gadgets away

and spend time with your family, with your loved ones.

You will relish the moments of magic and see the life turns much more happier, healthier.

Life is far more sustainable than you think.

So how many of you here are ready to relish the moment of magic right from Today ?

Over to you Toast master of the day